Aeroplane.



1.M.FUNK. l

AEROPLANE.

APPLICMION FILED SEPT-27, |916.

Patented Jan. 1, 1918.

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www Gbmm n Pg/ I. IVI. FUNK.

AEROPLANE.-

APPLICATION FILED SEPT-21| I9I6- 1,252,339., Patented Jan. 1,1918'.

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1. M. FUNK.

AEROPLANE. APPLICAIION FILED sEPI.27, 1916.

Patented Jah.

, 1. M. FUNK'.

AEROPLANE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPLZI. I9Is.

1,252,339, Patented Jan. 1,1918'.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

JAMES M. FUNK, 0E OTTAWA, ILLINOS.

EBPLNE.

pecication of Letters Patent.

Patented dan. il, i918.

Application filed September 27, 1918. Serial No. 122,353.

To all whom 'it may concern.'

lBe it known that I, JAMES M. FUNK, a citizen of the United States, residing in Ottawa, in the county of La Salle andState of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Aeroplanes, of which the following is a specification.

rFhis invention relates to aeroplanes or Hying machines of the class in which the machine is driven by rotary propellers operating in cylinders carried by the machine and steered by a hollow tail piece or rudder jointed to the rear end of the machine frame.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a novel organization by which the propellers are made to operate more eciently and whereby the machine may be more easily and correctly steered. Further objects of the invention are to provide novel means for automatically regulating the supply of air to the cylinders and the propellers proportionately as the normal air supply varies.

in carrying out my invention, 'l provide a main frame on which are supported two cylinders open at front and rear and each inclosing a screw propeller which is geared to an engine or motor carried by the frame. The two cylinders deliver to a single chamber which discharges into a hollow tail piece or rudder that is flexibly supported in such manner that it may be adjusted to any desired extent to discharge the air received by it in any desired direction and thus steer the machine. The tail piece or rudder is provided with horizontally arranged side wings or planes which serve to buoy it and horizontally arranged front planes or wings are provided at-the front of the machine which serve to buoy that end thereof. 'llhese front planes are bendable or warpable and are connected by cords, wires or the like with plates or disks in the rear portions of the propeller -inclosing cylinders These disks are supported by hinges, and when the machine is operating in a normal way are held parallel with the longitudmal axes of the cylinders and ai'ord no resistance to the passage of air therethrough, but each disk is so heid. against the action of a spring which tends to move it to a position transverse to the axis of the cylinder. As before stated, the disks are connected to the hendable front planes and the arrangement is such that when the disks are moved by their springs from their normal positions the planes are bent or Warped and the relation of the planes to the front portions of the cylinders is such that when the planes are thus bent an increased volume of air is made to enter them and pass therethrough. Other features of the invention and the details of construction will be hereinafter described.

In the accompanying;- drawings:-

Figure 1 shows a side elevation of an aeroplane embodying my invention..

2 is a sectional side elevation thereof.

Flg. 3 shows a top plan view of the same.

Fig. 4 shows a transverse section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged view in horizontal section of the rear ortion of the machine.

Fig. 6 is a top p an view of a modified form of the invention.

The' main frame A is arranged centrally of the machine and comprises side bars a which converge at their rear ends and are connected, as indicated, at a and they also converge at the front and are connected, as indicated, at a2.

rlhe frame A has below it a casing y which extends from its rear to its front end (Fig. 2). From its rear end the casing extends forwardly and downwardly in a gentle inoline, and at its front end the lower portion of the casing joins a front part y which eX- tends upward and forward to th'. plane of the main frame and then rearward and upward, as indicated at y2. in this way much of the mechanism is protected and the machine more easily cuts the. air.

At its rear end the main frame is connected by a ball and socket joint b to a. rudder bar B from which radiate vertically arranged rods b and horizontal rods b2.

The rear portion of the machine is supported, when on the ground, by a wheel or wheels C having bearings in a frame c from which extends rearward and upward a bar c which has a ball and socket connection at c2 with a block c3 on the rudder bar B.

A bar c* extends upward and forward from the frame c to the frame A where it has a ball and socket connection es with said frame.

The front portion of the machine is supported, while on the ground, by wheels D mounted in bearings in a frame ai provided with shock absorbers ci". From the frame d a foar cl2 extends rearward and upward wings I which the main frame.

to the middle portion of the main frame A and a bar da extends upward and forward from the front portion of this frame.

On each side of the machine frame is supported a cylinder E within which is mounted a screw propeller F. These propellers are driven by a suitable engine or motor G which, when of the gas engine type, may be supplied with fuel from a tank g. The engine is provided with a carbureter g having controlling devices connected to a lever or handle g2 on the drivers seat g3.` The en.- gine drives. av longitudinal shaft h which gears at it with a cross shaft h2, in turn geared at h3 with the shafts f of the propellers. The gears at h are contained within suitable housings z and the gears `at 71.3 are arranged in housings h5. The shaft h2 extends through tubes h6 supported by the housings it* and the main frame.

The cylinders E are open at front and rear and each cylinder is cut away on one side, as indicated at e, to permit air to enter from the side as well as from the front, and the two cylinders while supported byl the main frame, as indicated, in Fig. 3, unite at their rear ends in a single chamber, as shown, and deliver to the hollow tail piece )r rudder I which is preferably of cylindrical form and which is supported by the rods b', b2 which radiate from the rudder bar B. The rudder is equipped with side Iplanes or serve to buoy it.

At the forward portion of the machine above the front ends of the cylinders E are the planes J which may be constructed in vany suitable way so long as their rear porltions are flexible or bendable.

standard K are connected guys or braces k To the front extending to the outer or forward edge of the planes land other guys k connect these edges with the front a2 of the main frame. The rear standard L is connected, as indicated at Z, with the front standard and it is also connected by guys or braces Z with Turn buckles Z2 are provided for regulating the' tension of the guys or braces. v

At the rear end of each cylinder Eis mounted a plate or disk M. Preferably circular' disks are employed and these are mounted on hinges m. 'Springs N tend to move the disks crosswise of the axes-of the cylinder, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 5. When the air currents are of suiiicient power the disks are held edge-wise, as indicated byfull lines in Fig. 5. Each disk is connected by a rope, wire or other suitable -connection P with oneof the planes J. Each said rope or wire P passes from a disk around a pulley p on the bar c to a pulley p on the bar d3 and thence to branches p2 which connect with the rear edge of the plane J In this way as the disks M move from one position to another the rear edges which air passes from the of the planes J are correspondingly moved. It will be observed, by reference to Figs. 1 and 4, that at times there is a clear air space between each cylinder E -and the rear edge of the adjacent plane J. When the disks are disposed edgewise of the axis the cylinders air freely passes through the spaces but when the disks are moved by the springs cross-wise of the cylinders the edges of the planes are bent down, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 4 and the spaces are closed or partially closed and thus more air is made to enter the front and sides of the cylinders. In this way if the volume of air passing through the cylinders decreases and the pressure therein is reiduced, the disks M are moved by their springs in the manner before described in such manner as to close the spaces and thus cause more air tov enter the cylinders so that the volume of air discharged from the cylinders may in this way be rendered substantially uniform.

rIhe machine is steered by means of the tail piece or rudder I. The horizontalvbars b2 are connected by'wires, ropes or other connections Q to the hub of a steering wheel R. Each wire Q extends from a bar b2 across a guide pulley g and alongside of the main frame to the steering wheel., Wires or the like S extend from the outer ends of the 'bars b to a windlass operated by treadles T. In this way the rudder may be given any desired inclination to steer the machine in the desired direction.

I claim as my invention:

1. An aeroplane, comprising a main frame, a .motor-driven propeller on each side of the frame, a cylinder inclosing each propeller, and a hollow rudder into which the cylinders discharge.

2. An aeroplane, comprising a main frame, a screw propeller on each side of the frame, a cylinder inclosing each propeller, and a hollow rudder into which the cylinders discharge.

3. An aeroplane, comprising a mam frame, a'motor-driven propeller on each side of the frame, a cylinder inclosing each propeller, a single chamber into which both cylinders discharge, and a rudderin rear ofsaid chamber.

4. An' aeroplane, comprising a mam frame, a motor-driven propeller on each side of the main frame, a. cylinder inclosing each propeller, a 'single chamber into which both cylinders discharge, and a hollow rudder in rearof said chamber through propellers.

5. An aeroplane, comprislng a main frame, a motor-driven propeller on each Side of the main frame, a cylinder inclosing each propeller. a hollow rudder'intowhich the cylinders discharge, carried by the rudder.

and wings or planes I :panacea 3;

6. An aeroplane, comprising a main frame, a motor-driven propeller on each side of the main frame, a cylinder inclosing each propeller, a hollow rudder into which the cylinders discharge, and a rudder bar which supports the rudder and which is jointed to the main frameo 7 An aeroplane, comprising a main frame, a motor-driven propeller on each side of the frame, a cylinder inclosing each propeller, a hollow rudder into which both cylinders discharge, a rudder bar supporting the hollow rudder and which isjointed to the main frame, and means under control of the driver for adjusting the rudder relatively to the longitudinal axis of the main frame.

8. An aeroplane, comprising a main frame, a screw propeller on each side of the frame, a cylinder inclosing each propeller and which is open at front and rear, said front opening being continued to extend into one side of its front portion, and a rudder for steering the machine,

9. An aeroplane, comprising a main Jframe, a propeller on each side of the main frame, a cylinder inclosing each propeller, and a casing on the underside of the front `portion of the frame having a bottom inclined downwardly toward the front, and a tapered front portion.

10. An aeroplane, comprising a main frame, a propeller on each side of the main frame, a cylinder inclosing each propeller, supporting wheels for the front and rear portions of the machine, frames in which the wheels have bearings, and bars connecting said frames with the main frame of the machine, the bars from the real supporting wheels having flexible ball and socket connections with said main frame.s

ll. An aeroplane, comprising a trame, a propeller therefor, wings or planes at the front of the frame, and means controlled by the strength of the air currents generated by the propeller for bending the planes.

12. An aeroplane, comprising a main trame, propellers on opposite sides oi' the main frame, cylinders inclosing the propellers, wings or planes at the front of the machine, and means within said cylinders operated by variations in the strength of the air currents passing through them for bending said planes.4

13. An aeroplane, comprising a main trame, propellers on opposite sides of the main frame, cylinders inclosing said propellers, hinged plates within the cylinders, springs tending to move said plates crosswise of the cylinders, planes supported on the front portions of the machine, and connections between said plates and said planes whereby the planes are bent by the movement of said plates.

14. An aeroplane, comprising a main frame, propellers on opposite sides of the main frame, cylinders inclosing said propellers and which are open at front and rear, planes or wings extending over the front portions of the cylinders and which have portions that are bendalole toward and from the cylinders, and means within the cylinders operated by variations in the air pressure therein for bending the planes,

In testimony whereof, l have hereunto subscribed my name.

JAMES M. FUNK Witnesses:

TOM W. SMURR, A, (lI Bozanfrr. 

